Updated
Updated · China Daily · Jun 12
Chinese Scientists Uncover How Deep-Sea Isopods Survive 5 Years Without Food
Updated
Updated · China Daily · Jun 12

Chinese Scientists Uncover How Deep-Sea Isopods Survive 5 Years Without Food

3 articles · Updated · China Daily · Jun 12

Summary

  • A new study in Cell says giant deep-sea isopods have a biological mechanism that helps explain how they can stay alive for years without eating.
  • More than 5 years without a meal had already been documented in one widely reported isopod case, making the finding a potential answer to a long-standing survival puzzle.
  • Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Oceanology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Northwestern Polytechnical University carried out the work.
  • The result adds to understanding of how animals endure extreme deep-sea conditions, where food can be scarce for long periods.

Insights

Can the isopod's ancient survival gene save it from the modern threat of deep-sea mining?
As nations race to exploit the seabed, who will protect the fragile deep-sea ecosystems now being discovered?
Is China's deep-sea research a quest for knowledge or a race for military dominance under the waves?